Azharuddin and 4 Others Are Punished for Cricket Match Fixing : Former India Captain Banned - The New York Times The New York Times Sports |Azharuddin and 4 Others Are Punished for Cricket Match Fixing : Former India Captain Banned Search Azharuddin and 4 Others Are Punished for Cricket Match Fixing : Former India Captain Banned By PRADEEP MAGAZINE and INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE DEC. 6, 2000 Continue reading the main story NEW DELHI— Mohammed Azharuddin, the former India captain and one of world cricket's finest batsmen, was banned from the sport for life Tuesday for his involvement in match fixing. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, or BCCI, whose role in the matter had come under criticism from India's federal investigation agency, known as the CBI, also announced bans for three other players and a former India team physiotherapist. Ajay Sharma, who played for the country in one test match against the West Indies in 1989, also was banned for life. Ajay Jadeja, a middle-order batsman, Dr.

Ali Irani, a physiotherapist, and, ironically, Manoj Prabhakar, who started the scandal when he accused others of match fixing, all received five-year bans for their involvement with bookmakers. "This is a sad day in the annals of Indian cricket," A.C. Muthiah, chief of the BCCI, said after a meeting of the board's disciplinary committee in Madras. Continue reading the main story "There is clear evidence of match fixing against Azharuddin," Muthiah said. "There also is evidence that Sharma acted as a conduit for match fixing. That's why we clubbed the two of them together and gave life bans. Others had nexus with bookmakers and introduced players to the bookmakers, which is a serious breach of cricketing codes." Advertisement Continue reading the main story The BCCI has been under pressure since the release of a CBI report on match fixing in November. The report accused these players of having links with bookies and of "under-performing" in return for huge sums of money. In a country where cricket means what soccer does in Europe, there has been a public outcry demanding punishment for the guilty. The CBI devoted a full chapter of its report to the BCCI.

The report said that while there was no evidence that any officials were involved in match fixing, such a widespread racket was not possible without their knowledge. Before the CBI report become public, Azharuddin said he was being targeted because, as a Muslim, he belonged to the minority community. He did not comment Tuesday. Sharma, the other player banned for life, told a news agency that "the decision of the board is arbitrary" and that he was "going to seek legal remedy." Jadeja denied any wrongdoing and said he would appeal against the punishment. "I have to restore my credibility," he said. "I will appeal to the board and even go to the court to get justice." The CBI report had linked Sharma with Azharuddin, saying the former was responsible for introducing the bookmaker Mukesh Gupta to Azharuddin. Hansie Cronje, the South African captain banned in October, has said Azharuddin introduced him to Gupta in 1997 in India. Given the nature of politics in India — the governing Bharatiya Janata Party is a rightist Hindu party — the indictment of Azharuddin might have the potential of becoming a socially explosive issue.

The situation may be defused by the fact that there are others being punished who do not belong to the minority community. The most bizarre and mysterious role in the matter is that of Prabhakar. The scandal began in India in 1997 when Prabhakar wrote, in a signed article in a Delhi-based magazine, that he was offered 2.5 million rupees ($53,000) by a teammate to underperform in a match against Pakistan in 1994. Advertisement Continue reading the main story When Prabhakar later said that the player was Kapil Dev, the great Indian all-rounder and team captain, he sent the nation into a tailspin. In May, shortly after Cronje was charged in India and accused of fixing two matches against India in 1999, the government ordered the CBI probe.

The CBI exonerated Kapil but alleged that Prabhakar had played a leading role in introducing international cricketers to Gupta, including Brian Lara, the former West Indies captain; Alec Stewart, the former England captain; Dean Jones, the Australian batsman; and Arjuna Ranatunga and Arvinda de Silva, the former Sri Lankan captains. "I launched the crusade to cleanse the game and I have succeeded in doing it," Prabhakar said. "But I feel sad that the BCCI did not even have the courtesy to note the contribution I made to clear the dirt. It instead equated me with other players. "There is a lot of difference between me and them. I was fighting against the system of which they were a part." Prabhakar's accusation in 1997 had appeared against a backdrop of widespread allegations of match fixing by Pakistani players and accusations by two Australian players — Mark Waugh and Shane Warne — that a former Pakistani captain, Salim Malik, had offered them bribe to throw a test match.

The Indian public was willing to believe that match fixing happened outside its own borders, but those who pointed fingers at Indian players were called "traitors" and even "anti-national." Pakistan was the first country to react to the allegations. After a judicial probe, Malik was banned for life and Wasim Akram, Pakistan's best-known player, was fined. The inquiry even alleged that Waugh and Shane had taken money from Indian bookmakers. The pair were fined after admitting they had given an Indian bookmaker information on weather and the state of the wicket. When Cronje admitted his links with the same bookmaker it became hard for Indian fans to believe their own players were not tainted. Advertisement Pradeep Magazine is the sports editor of India-Today.com [Not to be reproduced without the permission of the author.] Top 10 Cricketers Banned for Match Fixing TOP 10 CRICKETERS BANNED FOR MATCH FIXING Top 10 Cricketers Banned for Match Fixing Topics Ajay Jadeja Mohammad Azharuddin Over the years, controversies surrounding cricket have marred the beauty of 'the gentleman's game', with match-fixing, being the ugliest blotch in it.

The conviction of Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir on charges of spot-fixing has come as a shock to cricket-lovers and the cricketing community. Time and again, allegations of match-fixing against players surface bringing shame to the spirit of the game. Throughout the history of cricket, there have been a number of players that have been banned from the game of cricket for match-fixing and here are 10 of them. 1. Hansie Cronje Image Credit: Ãï¿½ï¿½ BCCL Hansie Cronje, the man whom batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar considered the toughest bowler to bat against, was charged with match-fixing on April 2000, along with other South African cricketers, Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Pieter Styrdom. Denials were made by the South African cricket board as well as the players with regard to the allegations levelled against them. 3 Days later, Cronje was sacked as captain after confessing that he hadn't been "entirely honest". a number of startling revelations were made by players and Cronje himself, about his dealings with bookmakers.

Cronje was banned from playing or coaching cricket for life on 11 October. After approximately 2 years, Cronje, aged 32, died in a plane crash, which also killed his two pilots. 2. Mohammad Azharuddin Image Credit: Ãï¿½ï¿½ BCCL Azharuddin was the shining star of the Indian cricket team till the time he played for the team. He was an excellent batsman and fielder and an inspirational leader of his team. He is the one of the most successful captains of Team India, statistically, with a record win of 103 ODI matches as captain that is still unmatched. However, allegations of match fixing were levelled on him after Hansie Cronje's confession which named Azharuddin as the main person who introduced the bookies to him. A CBI enquiry followed and Azharuddin, eventually admitted to fixing 3 ODI matches. This led him into being banned from cricket for life by BCCI in the year 2000, which was lifted six years later. 3.

Manoj Prabhakar Image Credit: Ãï¿½ï¿½ BCCL Manoj Prabhakar was a significant part of the Indian cricket team in the early 1990s. He was a shrewd bowler who made batting difficult for his opponents. His career was, however, short-lived as he retired immediately after being dropped from the squad in the 1995-96 World Cup. In 2000, he tried to implicate other cricketers, including Kapil Dev, in the match-fixing controversy which backfired on him. He was found guilty of involvement in match-fixing and was handed a 5-year ban by BCCI. He then tried, unsuccessfully, to enter politics and then took to coaching for good. 4. Herschelle Gibbs Image Credit: Ãï¿½ï¿½ BCCL The match-fixing allegation that consumed Hansie Cronje's cricketing career also blotted Herschelle Gibbs's career. In a heart-breaking moment he tearfully admitted that he had, in fact, accepted $15,000 to score "less than 20" in an ODI match from captain Cronje.

He however, could not convince himself to keep his side of the bargain and scored 74 instead. He was therefore banned only for 6 months following which he came back to the South African team and resurrected himself as a player of class and worth. 5. Henry Williams Image Credit: sports (dot) in (dot) msn (dot) com Like Herschelle Gibbs, Williams too had agreed to underperform at an ODI match in Nagpur. The South African bowler, however injured his shoulder and couldn't complete his second innings, as a result of which he didn't receive any payment. He too was banned from international cricket for 6 months. He never returned to play cricket and later became the bowling coach at Boland. 6. Marlon Samuels Image Credit: Ãï¿½ï¿½ BCCL The West Indian cricketer was accused by the Indian Police of leaking out team information to a bookie prior to their match against India in 2007. The police claimed to have a taped conversation between Samuels and a bookmaker, Mukesh Kochchar.

In 2008 he was banned by ICC for 2 years after being found guilty of breaking rules made to stop players from betting despite him claiming innocence throughout. After the expiry of his ban, he once again resumed the game of cricket, playing for Jamaica and then for West Indies. 7. Ajay Jadeja Image Credit: Ãï¿½ï¿½ BCCL Ajay Jadeja was the darling of the Indian team thanks to his brilliant fielding and equally good batting. The findings of a CBI inquiry found him guilty with match-fixing following which he was banned by the BCCI for 5 years. Jadeja challenged the ban in the Delhi High Court, which was dismissed after no one represented his case when the petition was taken for hearing. Later, however, he was permitted to play domestic matches following which he became the captain of Delhi and Rajasthan. In the meanwhile, he joined Bollywood , though he never found success in it. 8. Maurice Odumbe Image Credit: cricket (dot) krikk (dot) com Maurice Odumbe was one of Kenya's leading players.

Following allegations of match-fixing yet again in the year 2004, ICC found Odumbe guilty of receiving money from bookmakers and was subsequently banned from cricket for 5 years. After his suspension, Odumbe became heavily involved in social work especially helping AIDS orphans. After the completion of his ban he returned to playing cricket, but at a domestic level. 9. Ajay Sharma Image Credit: Ãï¿½ï¿½ BCCL Ajay Sharma was considered to be the most prolific run-maker in first class cricket with an average of 67.46. He had many records behind him in domestic cricket but had an average show in the Indian Cricket team. His career finally ended after he was awarded a life ban following his implication in a match-fixing scandal. 10. Saleem Malik Image Credit: newshopper (dot) sulekha (dot) com Saleem Malik was a prominent part of the Pakistani cricket team till a notable period of time. He played many memorable innings for the country and even captained the team at one stage. He was accused of offering bribes and was handed a life ban in 2000 becoming the first cricketer ever to be banned.

He claimed innocence from the very beginning, which was later found to be true. His ban was overturned in 2008, but he never returned to playing cricket again. You may also like: The World Today Archive - India's former cricket captain banned for life More Current Affairs: Transcript This is a transcript from The World Today. The program is broadcast around Australia at 12:10pm on ABC Local Radio. India's former cricket captain banned for life The World Today Archive - Wednesday, 6 December , 2000 00:00:00 Reporter: jonathon harley COMPERE: Indian cricket authorities are hoping today that they've put the year's shocking match fixing drama well and truly behind them with sentences for players found guilty of match fixing or having connection with bookies. Four current, or former players have been banned or suspended including the one time hero and captain for India, Mohammad Azharuddin, who's been dismissed from all cricket for life. The announcement has come a month after the release of India's damning match fixing report was handed over. Jonathon Harley, our South Asia Correspondent, joins me on the line from the ABC New Delhi Bureau.

Jonathon, what is in this match fixing report and banning of these players? JONATHON HARLEY: Well the bans that were announced late in the evening in Madras, in the southern city of Madras by the Indian Cricket Board president AC Muthiah as you said included the headline really which is that former captain, Mohammad Azharuddin has been banned for life. He's been said by match fixing investigators to have admitted to fixing three one-day internationals. Former Test player and first class Ajay Sharma's also had a life ban as well as the retired cricketer, come whistle blower, Manoj Prabhakar and probably with the most to lose is the 29-year-old star Ajay Jadeja who's been given a five year ban along with Manoj Prabhakar, and really for Jadeja that's cutting him off in the prime of his career. COMPERE: Azharuddin has already announced though that they won't be playing first class cricket any more, hasn't he? Is it really a surprise? JONATHON HARLEY: Well the announcements came as a surprise in the sense that there's been reportedly a degree of infighting within the cricket board.

There's been really a lot of debate and a lot of controversy internally as to the best way to go, but the board's been under a lot of political pressure and also public pressure to be tough to be seen to be doing justice, and at the end of the day a tough line prevailed and addressing reporting in Madras this his how Mr Muthiah, the head of the Indian Cricket Board, justified the sentences. AC MUTHIAH: We found ample evidence of match fixing in the case of Azharuddin and Ajay Sharma so that is why we have bracketed them for a lifetime. In the case of Manoj Prabhakar and Ajay Jadeja, we found that they had ample evidence that they were constantly in touch with bookmakers and they had a very close nexus with a number of book makers and they'd been telephoning to them, contacting them, even before the matches, we felt this was a misconduct. COMPERE: Jonathon Harley, do you believe now that this is the end of the matter, that the Indian Cricket Board has managed to plug the problem and get rid of the offenders for good? JONATHON HARLEY: Well, John, certainly Mr Muthiah will be hoping that.

It's the end of a chapter at least. We've had an incredibly turbulent year for Indian cricket here across the subcontinent of course the Pakistani investigation into match fixing came out earlier in the year and then of course the whole gamut of charges against disgraced South African captain, Hansie Cronje, those charges by New Delhi police of course are still pending so that book is still very much open, but cricket authorities here, officials in the cricketing establishment are hoping that they've at least put these charges, these matters, this controversy around Azharuddin to rest, but investigations are ongoing. And it should also be noted that later this week it's just been announced that the head of the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit, Paul Condon, will be coming to Delhi joined by Australian Cricket Board's special investigator, Greg Mellick, and they'll be having meetings with investigators here, so I think it might be the end of this chapter, but certainly not the end of India's match fixing dramas. COMPERE: Jonathon Harley in our Delhi office.

Kapil bats for Azhar – NDTV Sports © New Delhi: Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev today said it was time the Indian cricket board and International Cricket Council sorted out the issue of Mohammad Azharuddin, banned for life for his alleged involvement in match-fixing. "If I have the right to earn and if ICC has the right to earn, so does Azhar. Personally, I feel nobody should be banned from the game," Kapil told reporters today. ICC critical The former Indian captain was responding to ICC's statement on Sunday that it was extremely disappointed to see Azhar don the cricket commentator's role for a television network. "The issue of Azhar has dragged for long and it is time the BCCI and ICC sorted out this issue," said Kapil, who was also accused of match-fixing but exonerated later by BCCI. Azharuddin, who was slapped a life-ban in December, 2000 after a BCCI inquiry found him guilty of match-fixing, is fighting a court battle against the BCCI. He has been roped in by a private broadcaster as an expert commentator for the ongoing Asia Cup tournament in Sri Lanka.

(PTI) Mohammad Azharuddin's Biopic 'Azhar' Was Expected to Draw Controversy – NDTV Sports Mohammad Azharuddin's Biopic 'Azhar' Was Expected to Draw Controversy Updated: 11 May 2016 19:26 IST 'Azhar' the movie chronicles the life of former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin who was implicated in a cricket match fixing scandal in 2000 and consequently banned for life. In 2012, the Andhra Pradesh High Court lifted the ban. Written by Press Trust of India Read Time: 2 mins Actor Emraan Hashmi (L) with former India cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin offer prayers at Nizamuddin Dargah for the success of the film 'Azhar'. © PTI New Delhi: Even before its release, former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin's biopic has raised eyebrows of the people shown in the sports drama and its lead star Emraan Hashmi says he is not surprised given the subject of the film.

Directed by Tony D'Souza, "Azhar" chronicles the life of Azharuddin , who was implicated in a cricket match-fixing scandal in 2000, and banned by BCCI for life. In 2012, however, the Andhra Pradesh High Court lifted the ban, describing it as "unsustainable". There were reports that Azharuddin's former wife Sangeeta Bijlani and popular cricketer Manoj Prabhakar are set to sue the makers of the film for showing them in a bad light once the film releases. "We knew that this film will ruffle a few feathers because he was controversial and everyone got a perception. When you are showing it through one person's point of view, other people will feel the reality is something else. "All these controversies were expected and I think when they will see the film all these speculation can go either ways. It could make things or worse or it could make them feel that they were over-reacting," Emraan told PTI. The "Mr X" star, 37, said he did not have an iota of doubt to portray the tainted cricketer onscreen as there were many facets to his story.

"I was actually very excited to play him. I felt there is a very special story about his life... His humble beginnings in Hyderabad, how he came to the Indian cricket team, became the captain and led India to so many victories." Emraan was intrigued by the stories regarding Azharuddin's match fixing scandal. "It's a story of a fallen hero, which I found interesting. It is tragic when someone's life is snatched away from him," he said. Azharuddin was involved with the film right from its inception and also helped Emraan to know more about him. "He's a great teacher. We bonded over a lot of conversations about his life. I had to understand his better. There was practice session for almost 3 hours everyday and I used to watch him and imbibe things from his game." The film stars Nargis Fakhri as Sangeeta while "Rock On!" actress Prachi Desai is portraying Azharuddin's first wife Naureen. Even Nargis is not happy with the way her character has shaped up in the film as the actress had claimed that she was not aware of the kissing scenes in the movie. "I don't know why she is saying that now.

But as far as I know, she definitely knew about the kissing scenes. When she is doing a film with me, then there is no brainer, right." Produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor and Sony Pictures Networks, "Azhar" releases this Friday. Dirk Nannes slams Azharuddin's appearance at IPL show Dirk Nannes slams Azharuddin's appearance at IPL show Mohammad Azharuddin was banned by the ICC for life back in 2000. Tweets 12 May 2016, 19:41 IST Dirk Nannes during a T20I against India Mohammad Azharuddin is one of the most controversial characters in the world of cricket. The former captain of the Indian cricket team recently appeared on a cricket show during IPL to promote his biopic Azhar. After the show was aired Australian pacer Dirk Nannes took on Twitter to express his disappointment to see an alleged match-fixer on a cricket show. The Victoria-born left-arm fast bowler tweeted. Why is a confessed match fixer welcomed on a cricket show and treated like royalty? How is that even possible?

— Dirk Nannes (@dirk_nannes) May 11, 2016 Azharuddin is regarded as one of the most successful captains of the Indian cricket team but was implicated in a match-fixing scandal in 2000 and was subsequently banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for life. Former South African captain Hansie Cronje, who confessed that he took part in match-fixing, he also indicated that Azharuddin was the one to introduce him to the bookies. The 53-year-old right-handed batsman was found guilty of match-fixing and handed a lifelong ban by both ICC and BCCI. Also read – Why Ajinkya Rahane should open for India in ODIs However, in 2012, a Divisional bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed the ban imposed upon him. Azharuddin represented India in 99 Test matches and 334 ODIs. He has more than 15,000 international runs under his belt along with 29 centuries.

The stylish right-handed batsman has scored 6215 runs in Test matches at an average of 45.03 and also scored 9378 runs in ODIs at an average of 36.92. He also won 14 Test matches and 90 ODIs as the captain of the Indian cricket team. Nannes is among the few cricketers who played international cricket for more than one country. In 2009, he made his international debut for the Netherlands against England in a T20I and he also represented Australia in both T20Is and in a single ODI. He played his last international match in 2010. Also read – KXIP teammates feel the brunt of axed Mitchell Johnson's anger The left-arm pacer previously played in the IPL for Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore and the now suspended Chennai Super Kings. He then went on to retweet two articles to prove the fact that Azharuddin had confessed and the ban was declared illegal rather than him being found innocent. Mohammad Azharuddin’s biopic “Azhar” is scheduled for a worldwide release on 13 May 2016.

A timeline of the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo A timeline of the Hansie Cronje match-fixing episode from 2000 and the impact on the players named Denial, followed by a 3am confession, then tears © AFP The first blow April 7, 2000 Delhi police charge Hansie Cronje with fixing South Africa's ODIs against India in March for money. They also release transcripts of an alleged conversation between Cronje and an Indian businessman, suggested to be a bookie, Sanjay Chawla. The conversation is about who is playing and who is not, who is in on the "deal", the amount alleged to be paid to Cronje and his team-mates Herschelle Gibbs, Pieter Strydom and Nicky Boje. Cronje denies any involvement in the matter, and the South African board, former players and media rally behind him. Cronje's denial April 9, 2000 South Africa's captain continues to stand his ground , saying at a press conference: "I want to make it 100% clear that I deny ever receiving any sum of money during the one-day international series in India.

I want to also make it absolutely clear I have never spoken to any member of the team about throwing a game." Cronje confesses April 11, 2000 The South African board sacks Cronje after he calls the board's managing director, Ali Bacher, at 3am and admits he "had been dishonest" over his activities in India. Cronje acknowledges receiving $10,000 to 15,000 for "providing information and forecast but not match-fixing" during the one-day series in India. Dodgy Test investigated April 12, 2000 The South African board says the controversial fifth Test between South Africa and England in Centurion in January, during which both sides forfeited an innings at Cronje's suggestion, will be investigated as part of the inquiry into match-fixing allegations. Indian government steps in April 28, 2000 The Indian government orders the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the match-fixing allegations and to find out whether any Indian cricketer or official was involved.

The King Commission enquiry June 7, 2000 Former South African cricketer Pat Symcox testifies before the King Commission, which is inquiring into the Cronje scandal, that he had been approached by Cronje about "throwing" a match against Pakistan during the 1994-95 season. He also confirms that during a team meeting in Mumbai in 1996, Cronje had conveyed an offer of $250,000 dollars to lose a one-dayer. Gibbs' confession pulled the rug out from under Cronje's defence © AFP A damning confession June 8, 2000 Herschelle Gibbs effectively seals Cronje's fate, confessing he had accepted an offer from his former captain to make less than 20 runs in a one-day match in India earlier in the year in exchange for $15,000. More South Africans testify June 9, 2000 Nicky Boje, one of those named in the match-fixing case by the Delhi police, tells the King Commission he was shocked to hear his name linked to the scandal and said Cronje had never approached him with an offer to play badly.

Seam bowler Henry Williams testifies that he had been offered $15,000 by Cronje to bowl expensively in a one-day international in India earlier in the year. Pieter Strydom reveals that he had been offered money by Cronje before the first Test against India in Mumbai in February. Cronje offered immunity June 10, 2000 After three days of damaging revelations during the King Commission hearings, Cronje is offered immunity from criminal prosecution in South Africa if he makes a full disclosure about his role in match-fixing. Kallis' testimony June 13, 2000 Jacques Kallis corroborates evidence by Mark Boucher and Lance Klusener that Cronje had made an offer to the three players in a hotel room before the second Test against India in Bangalore in March 2000. Cronje accuses Azhar June 15, 2000 Cronje confesses to taking about $100,000 in bribes from gamblers since 1996, but he claims that he had never thrown or fixed a match. He also announces his retirement from cricket.

Cronje tells the King Commission that former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin had introduced him to a bookie who offered him money to throw a 1996 Test match during South Africa's tour of India. Azharuddin calls the allegation "rubbish". Cronje breaks down June 23, 2000 Cronje is led away in tears after his three-day cross examination by the King Commission ends in Cape Town. He gives evidence clearly and admits that he accepted money from bookmakers and says his "great passion of the game and for my team-mates'' was matched by "an unfortunate love of money". Paul Condon heads ICC investigation June 26, 2000 Cronje begs forgiveness for his involvement in illicit gambling deals after the first round of hearings of the King Commission closes. A former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Paul Condon, is appointed director of the ICC's anti-corruption investigation.

Nicky Boje, reluctant to tour India for several years for fear of being questioned, finally agreed to cooperate with the Delhi police, seven years after the scandal broke © ICL Two South African players banned August 28, 2000 The UCBSA bans Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams from international cricket until December 31, 2000, for their role in the match-fixing scandal. Pieter Strydom, is acquitted of conspiring to bet on the outcome of the Centurion Test againt England in January. Life ban for Cronje October 11, 2000 The UCBSA imposes a life ban on Cronje. The ban, which was widely expected, extends to all the UCBSA's related cricket activities as well as that of its affiliates. Cronje dies June 1, 2002 Cronje dies aged 32 when the light cargo plane in which he was travelling in crashed into mountains near the coastal town of George in bad weather. Four years later, an inquest into his death reveals that the crash was caused due to pilot negligence.

Boje skips India tour November 3, 2004 Nicky Boje pulls out of a two-Test tour of India after being told he might be detained by Indian police over their match-fixing investigations. Gibbs questioned October 12, 2006 The Delhi police question Herschelle Gibbs for over two hours about the South Africa tour of India in 2000. Gibbs allegedly names Derek Crookes, the former South Africa spinner, as being involved in match-fixing. Crookes denies the allegation, saying he was cleared by the King Commission. Crookes declares innocence October 13, 2006 Derek Crookes expresses shock at being linked to the fixing allegations after being cleared by the King Commission. Offers to cooperate with the Delhi police. Boje questioned by Delhi police December 11, 2007 Nicky Boje, playing in India (for the Indian Cricket League) for the first time since 2000, is questioned by Delhi police. He denies any role in match-fixing.

Cronje barred from Hall of Fame March 17, 2008 Cronje will not be posthumously inducted into South Africa's Sports Hall of Fame . Cronje named in chargesheet July 22, 2013 More than 13 years after the scandal broke, Cronje is the only cricketer named in the chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police relating to the match-fixing case of 2000. The chargesheet includes several bookies. © ESPN Sports Media Ltd. Match Fixing in Cricket, Baseball, Football and Other Sports News Are Sports Betting Games Fixed? Match fixing is not new to the world of sports. Instances of players accepting bribes to lose a game, because of bets being made on the possible outcome of a game have been seen even during the heyday of the Greek civilization, where the first Olympic Games were held. The explosion of the mass media, especially electronic media, by the dawn of the 20th century made people more aware of the various happenings in the sporting world. Match-fixing is no less prevalent in the 21st century as it was in the 20th century. Why are games fixed?

Match-fixing most commonly has its roots in the illegal sports betting business, where bettors place huge bets on the results of games. To make sure the outcome of the game favors them, they pay a certain amount to a sportsman or a team, an amount which they will find hard to resist, on the condition that they perform poorly or lose the game. There are also other situations that motivate fixing of games. One of them is a mutual dislike among team members towards a person of authority in the team. The most infamous example of this occurred in the baseball World Series in 1919. Competing teams may agree to draw a match so that points are shared between them as well as the money. However, the most common factor that influences match-fixing is money. Match-fixing scandals in the Indian sporting world Cricket, being a national obsession in India, it is no surprise that a handful of bookies are involved in manipulating the game and staking huge amounts of money. Very often, even the credibility of some of the most reputed sportsmen in the country has come into question. Over the past decade, Indian cricket has been rocked by scandals related to match fixing.

What is significant here is that most of the cricket match-fixing scandals that have occurred in the last decade have had to do with the Indian subcontinent. Now it has become rather common knowledge that bookmakers and the underworld try to manipulate the results of cricket matches. The first scandal that caused a minor sensation in international cricket was in 1998, when Australian cricketers Shane Warne and Mark Waugh were penalized by the Australian Cricket Board for accepting money from an Indian bookmaker to reveal the weather and pitch information. It was, however, in the year 2000 that international cricket received its rudest shock, tarnishing its reputation for good. It all started with the Delhi police intercepting a conversation between an Indian bookmaker and Hansie Cronje, the South African Cricket Captain. The conversation revealed that Cronje had accepted bribes from the bookmaker to lose matches against India in the India-South Africa One-Day series of 2000. A formal inquiry committee was set up and Cronje later admitted to having accepted money from the bookmakers to throw two matches. He was banned from playing the game for life. What startled the nation was not the Cronje incident alone, but also the names he revealed.

Well known cricketers like Salim Malik, Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar were all named as having links to several bookmakers in the country. While Ajay Jadeja faced a ban from cricket for five years, Manoj Prabhakar was disqualified from holding any post in the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), and Azharuddin and Malik were awarded life time banishment from cricket. After this revelation other skeletons tumbled out of the closet. According to a report filed by the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), a famous Indian bookmaker in 1993 had paid an Indian umpire to collect pitch information prior to the India-England one-day series that year. It was also revealed that a grounds man was asked to lay out an under-prepared pitch in Delhi for a Test match against Australia in 1996. When the dark side of the country’s favorite sport was revealed, it came as a shattering blow to many of its fans. South African Players Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams were accused of having been in touch with bookmakers and were suspended for six months. As for Cronje, he did not live long after that incident.

He was killed in a plane crash in the year 2002. Memories of that year would soon fade away and the Indian cricket fan’s passion for the game once again flared up. But the game continued to have its share of controversies in the subcontinent. In 2001, some of the Indian players were penalized for tampering with the ball during the Test series against South Africa late 2001. Right up to 2011, where there have been allegations that the semi-final match between India and Pakistan was fixed, controversies regarding match fixing have haunted Indian cricket for the past decade. It is not just cricket that has been targeted with match-fixing claims. Hockey, India’s national sport and once the most popular game in the country, has been hit with match-fixing allegations of late, where Harendra Singh, former coach of the Indian Hockey Team, accused Pargat Singh, former team mate and captain, of having done nothing for Indian hockey except match-fixing. He claimed that Pargat was behind India’s dismal showings in the previous two Olympic Games and also slammed Hockey India (HI) for roping in Pargat as chairman of its development committee.

Cricket match-fixing in India’s neighboring countries Pakistan has been no less notorious for match fixing and the dark side of Pakistan cricket has shown itself quite often. Pakistan’s loss to Ireland in the 2007 World Cup and the subsequent death of Coach Bob Woolmer was one of the more recent events that shook Pakistani cricket. Although an inquiry was ordered into the incident, nothing ever came of it and the death still remains a mystery. The next big blow for cricket in the country came when three Pakistani cricketers were accused of match-fixing a few years back. In the Tests that took place against England and Australia, players in the Pakistani cricket team, including Mohammad Asif, Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt were accused of match fixing charges and were awarded lengthy bans by the ICC. Suspicions were raised after the series in Australia, where the team lost all the three tests, the five one-dayers and the Twenty20 game. Sri Lankan cricket, which had stayed out of controversies, shocked the cricketing world when the former Sri Lankan captain Hashan Tilakaratne alleged that corruption is ruining the cricket scene in Sri Lanka and has been since 1992.

Backing Tilekaratne’s claims were Arjuna Ranatunga, who also questioned the team selection for the 2011 World Cup Final against India. This was followed up by Kumar Sangakkara’s speech at Lord’s, where he claimed that ever since his country won the 1996 World Cup, Sri Lankan Cricket had turned into a multi-million dollar business. Major match-fixing scandals in other international sports It is not just India and cricket, but different sports in different countries that have been shaken by match-fixing scandals. It is often the most popular game in a particular region that is the most bet upon. Some of the most scandalous events in world sports over the last century are mentioned here. Baseball: One of the biggest scandals in American baseball occurred in 1919, when eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned from playing the game for life. This punishment was meted out for intentionally losing the game, enabling Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series. The fixing was a conspiracy, motivated by a dislike amongst teammates against the club owner.

The incident, referred to as the Black Sox Scandal, created such a sensation in the country that it inspired a book called “Eight Men Out”, which was later made into a movie by the same name. Another baseball controversy occurred in the late 1980s when Peter Rose, former baseball player and manager of the Cincinnati Reds team then, voluntarily accepted the life ban from the Major League Baseball over allegations of his betting on his team, though no actual evidence exists even now. In his autobiography titled “Prison without Bars”, he discussed the whole match-fixing incident though. Basketball and point shaving: Point shaving is a form of match fixing where players of a team agree not to cover a published point spread in a game. Point shaving is a common occurrence in basketball games and several such match fixing incidents have been unearthed over the last few decades. One of these was in the 1950s, where several basketball players from four New York colleges were indicted by the then District Attorney for indulging in point shaving. In the late 1970s, another point shaving plot was planned by mobsters from the New York crime family with the basketball team of Boston College.

In the 1990s, bookmakers from Las Vegas unearthed a point shaving scheme, which involved basketball players from the Arizona State University. The suspicion was raised when large wagers were made repeatedly over the Arizona state. Very recently, a report stated that 10 people, a number of them having ties with the basketball team of the University of San Diego, were indicted by the US federal grand jury over charges of point shaving. Football (soccer): Perhaps the game that has had most match-fixing incidents is football (soccer) . One of the most sensational scandals occurred in the UK in the 1910s, when a First League Division match between Manchester United and Liverpool was fixed in favor of the former team while the benefits went to both teams. Seven players were involved in the scandal and all of them were later banned for life. A similar betting scandal was unearthed in the 1960s. It involved a betting ring formed by a number of Football League players who continually fixed matches. When uncovered, many of the players were banned for life and some of them imprisoned. In 2004, over thirty people in South Africa were arrested on charges of match-fixing by the South African Football Association.

The thirty people included club officials, referees, an official of the association and a match commissioner. One of the recent incidents that shook football in Germany was the Bundesliga Scandal in 2005, when prosecutors, along with help from the German Football Association, made an inquiry into allegations that Robert Hoyzer, a referee, was involved in fixing several matches that he had worked on. It was also reported that he was involved with gambling syndicates in Croatia. He later confessed his guilt and named several other referees and players involved in match fixing. He, along with the others were arrested and served over two years in prison along with a life ban from the association. That same year, another scandal was to rock Brazilian football, when two referees, one of them being a member of FIFA’s referee staff, were charged with accepting bribes and having fixed several games in the Campeonato Brasileiro, the country’s top football tournament. Once the allegations were confirmed, the games were replayed and both the referees were banned from football for life. In 2006, the Italian Police uncovered what was supposed to be the largest match fixing scandal in Italian Serie A football.

Here, major football teams Lazio, Fiorentina, AC Milan and Juventus were charged with rigging matches and selecting their favorite referees. Juventus, which had won the previous two Serie A titles, were stripped of them and with the exception of Milan, all four teams were relegated to Series B. Many a match-fixing incident has been uncovered over the years and most of them have been dealt with severely. Every country has its own rules to restrict match fixing and provide strict penalties for those indulging in such practices. Regardless of these laws, sportspersons have been lured time and again into match-fixing scandals. Even the advent of modern technology, instead of effectively curbing match-fixing, has opened new pathways for bookmakers. Effect of match-fixing and ways of dealing with it Whenever such an incident is revealed to the public, it can have a corresponding effect on honest gamblers in countries where real money sports betting is legal. But in the UK, where sport betting is regulated and a thriving industry, there are rare instances of player involvement in match fixing or even scandals of this nature.

In countries like India, where gambling is not legalized and is considered a social taboo, a few unscrupulous elements lure gullible players with money to play unfairly. To tackle the problem, experts have suggested that legalization and regulation of gambling is probably the best solution. Banning is not going to help, as it will only motivate the industry to operate underground, as is the case with India, where the illegal gambling industry is worth almost 2,000 crore rupees. However, the public should demand solutions to match fixing . Perhaps the most important point I can conclude this article with is – while match fixing as occurred in the past, match fixing is the exception and NOT the norm. Match fixing is a serious crime in most countries and both the criminal authorities and the sports leagues do everything in their power to combat it. Also, as a sports gambler who is given the option to pick either Team A or Team B in competition, even if some minuscule amounts of games you wager on are fixed, this won’t affect your overall win rate because on average you’ll be a different side of the fix 50% of the time.

Match Fixing In Cricket: Latest News, Photos, Videos on Match Fixing In Cricket - NDTV.COM Match Fixing In Cricket Former South African Cricketer Alviro Petersen Banned For Two Years Agence France-Presse | Thursday December 22, 2016 Alviro Petersen is the sixth player to be banned following a corruption scandal which led to former international player Gulam Bodi being banned for 20 years for attempting to fix matches in South Africa's domestic Twenty20 competition during the 2014/15 season. UK's 'Fake Sheikh' Reporter Who Nailed Amir, Butt, Asif For Fixing, Jailed NDTV Sports | Friday October 21, 2016 British journalist Mazher Mahmood, renowned for his "fake sheikh" undercover sting operations for media mogul Rupert Murdoch's tabloids, is in jail for tampering with evidence in a high-profile trial.

He exposed Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif for match fixing Shoaib Akhtar Claims Match-fixing Was At Its Peak In 1996 Indo-Asian News Service | Monday October 17, 2016 Shoaib Akhtar, famously known as the "Rawalpindi Express", claimed to have warned fixing convict Mohammad Amir back in 2010 to avoid meeting people who could lure players into match fixing South Africa Ban Thami Tsolekile, Three Others For Fixing Attempt Reuters | Monday August 8, 2016 Tsolekile, who played the last of his three tests against England at Port Elizabeth in 2004, received a 12-year ban for "contriving to fix a match or matches" in the 2015 Twenty20 domestic competition Brendon McCullum Stands by Fixing Evidence Against Chris Cairns Agence France-Presse | Tuesday June 7, 2016 Brendon McCullum, delivering the MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's, stood by the evidence given by him against Chris Cairns for match-fixing approach Mohammad Azharuddin's Biopic 'Azhar' Was

 Expected to Draw Controversy Press Trust of India | Wednesday May 11, 2016 'Azhar' the movie chronicles the life of former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin who was implicated in a cricket match fixing scandal in 2000 and consequently banned for life.

In 2012, the Andhra Pradesh High Court lifted the ban. Associated Press | Thursday February 25, 2016 Lonwabo Tsotsobe is being investigated in fixing a domestic match along with Gulam Bodi and Thami Tsolekile. Danish Kaneria Lashes Out at Pakistan Cricket Board, England After Mervyn Westfield is Cleared to Play Press Trust of India | Thursday February 18, 2016 Danish Kaneria, who was banned for life in 2012 for fixing a English club cricket match, said he was shown preferential treatment though the other co-convict Mervyn Westfield has been allowed to play lower level cricket Sri Lanka Cricket Fixing Scandal: Country's Prime Minister Says Corruption Claims Must be Probed Agence France-Presse | Thursday January 21, 2016 Sri Lankan police questioned skipper Angelo Mathews on Tuesday as part of investigations into an attempt to bribe players to under-perform in a Test match against the West Indies.

Sri Lanka Captain Angelo Mathews Defends Players After Coach Gets Fixing Ban Reuters | Tuesday January 19, 2016 Sri Lanka Cricket handed bowling coach Anusha Samaranayake a two-month ban on Monday over his relationship with net bowler Gayan Vishwajith, who allegedly approached national team players to under-perform during a Test match against West Indies in October. Sri Lanka Suspend Bowling Coach Over Alleged Fixing Bid Agence France-Presse | Monday January 18, 2016 Sri Lanka's fast bowling coach Anusha Samaranayake has been suspended for two months over alleged attempts at bribing players to under-perform in a Test match to ensure a surprise victory for the West Indies. Sri Lanka Cricket Academy's Bowling Coach to be Sacked Over Fixing Fiasco Press Trust of India | Sunday January 17, 2016 Opener Kusal Perera alerted the officials about an approach made by bookies to him and Rangana Herath to under-perform during a Test match against the West Indies in Galle in October.

Match Fixing Scandal: Court to Hear Arguments From January 18 Press Trust of India | Tuesday October 13, 2015 The police, in its 93-page charge sheet, has named Cronje, Rajesh Kalra, Sunil Dara, Kishan Kumar, the brother of slain T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar, as accused in the case. Delhi Court to Hear Arguments in Match Fixing Case from January 18 India News | Press Trust of India | Tuesday October 13, 2015 A Delhi court has fixed January 18 next year for hearing arguments on framing of charges in the match-fixing scandal case of 2000 in which police has chargesheeted six persons, including former South African captain Hansie Cronje. Sreesanth Would Never Cheat Cricket, We Have Faith in Judiciary, says His Mother Indo-Asian News Service | Sunday May 24, 2015 Sreesanth's cricketing fortunes nosedived when he was arrested on May 16, 2013 and was in jail till June 11, following his alleged involvement in match fixing and has been serving a life ban from the game.

BBC SPORT | CORRUPTION IN CRICKET | Azharuddin hit with life ban Tuesday, 5 December, 2000, 13:45 GMT Azharuddin hit with life ban Azharuddin: Banned for life Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin has been banned from playing cricket for life after being found guilty of match-fixing. Azharuddin and Test player Ajay Sharma have received life bans from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The BCCI said they had decided to impose a life ban on Azharuddin, 38, after he admitted to fixing three one-day internationals. Board president AC Muthiah said that former Test players Ajay Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar had been suspended from the game for five years. Former team physiotherapist Ali Irani has also been suspended for five years. These punishments will set an example for the future AC Muthiah The decision came after a meeting of the board's disciplinary committee in the southern Indian city of Madras to discuss a federal investigation into match-fixing. AC Muthiah said: "These hard decisions have been taken after careful consideration.

"They will set an example for the future." The players can appeal against their punishments. They were found guilty by India's Central Bureau of Investigation on the basis of testimonies from bookmakers. Indian wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia was also named in the report but the BCCI have exonerated him. Allegations surfaced Azharuddin was one of India's greatest ever batsmen, having scored more than 15,500 runs in Tests and one-day matches during a 15-year international career. He, together with Jadeja, was dropped from the Indian squad four months ago after the allegations surfaced. Prabhakar and Sharma retired from the game a number of years ago. The BCCI ordered an internal inquiry following the publication of the CBI report. Accepted money K Madhavan led the inquiry and he concluded that Azharuddin was guilty of match-fixing and three others - Ajay Jadeja, Manoj Prabhakar and Ajay Sharma - had links with bookmakers. All protested their innocence, with Azharuddin claiming that the CBI were not interested in his side of the story.

It is alleged that Azharuddin accepted large sums of money from bookmaker MK Gupta in return for fixing matches. The latest life bans come after former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje received the same punishment life for accepting money in return for match information. And the Qayyum report in Pakistan, which was published earlier this year, called for life bans on former Test players Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman. Search BBC Sport Online

Question: Who was the Indian cricket captain who was banned for life for his part in match fixing in 2000?
Answer: MOHAMMED AZHARUDDIN